Automatic railway-switch.



4 0 9 1 6 2 R P A D E T N E T A P I R U B D 0 0 W A 1 0 8 5 7 0 NAUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

A Attorney.-

ucnms PETERS a1, PH WASHINGTON u c UNITED STATES Patented Apm 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC RAlLWAYrSWlTCHt SPECIFICATION'fOrming part of -Letters PatentNo. 758,401, dated Apri126, 1904.

Application filed October 22, 1903. Serial No. 178,007. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, URBAN A. WooDBURY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burlington, in the county of Chittenden and State ofVermont, have invented new and useful 1m provements in AutomaticRailway-Switches,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-switches of the type known as automaticsafety, in which means are provided whereby in case the switch has beeninadvertently left open it will be closed by a train on the main trackapproaching the switch from the front side thereof.

One object of my invention is to provide automatic mechanism for thepurpose described which will not interfere with or affect the ordinaryoperation of switching, but which will always be ready to operate andwhich will not have complicated parts to get out of order or be affectedby climatic conditions.

Another object of my invention is to so construct and arrange themechanism that the.

switch can yield as usual when it has been inadvertently set Wrong and atrain passes through it from the heel or rear side thereof and so thatin so yielding the automatic mechanism will be set in operation to throwthe switch as soon as the first pair of wheels forces the rails over.When, however, the switch is set for the main line and a train passesoff from the siding onto the main line, I prefer to construct themechanism so that the switch-rails can yield without setting off... theautomatic mechanism, so that the switch will remain closed to the mainline.

Another object of my invention is to provide a trip device arranged tobe operated by means carried on the locomotive and which can beabsolutely relied upon to release the automatic mechanism promptly ifthe switch has been left open, this result being attained by causing thetrip to strike a device which normally maintains a spring energized,thus obviating the necessity of overcoming the inertia of and setting inmotion a number of connected parts.

Another object of my invention is to so connect the trip with theswitch-rod that the former will be automatically moved into in-,

operative position when the switch is closed to with the trip, whichmeans can be removed from operative position by the engineer when theswitch is opened and it is desired to run onto the siding. I

Further objects and advantages of my in-' vention will more fully appearhereinafter, and the various mechanisms and combinations whereby theobjects and advantages are at .tained will be pointed out in theannexedclaims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals areused to represent the same parts in the dilferent views,

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the tracks elevation, and Fig. 5 in endelevation, the

extra wheelon the locomotive to cooperate with the trip. Fig. 6 is anend view of the main track, and 2 and 3 the switch-rails car-- ried bythe switch-rod 5.

This rod terminates in a head 6, slidably mounted in a cylinder 7,having heads 8 and 9, through the former of which said switchrod canslide.

The cylinder itself can move longitudinally;

it being preferably supported on a roller 10 and guided by anotherroller 11 for that purpose. Said roller 11 is arranged at the side ofthe cylinder, so as to resist the tendency of the trip-rod, to behereinafter described, to

to to limit its outward movement from the cylinder. 'The rod 5 carriesoutside of the cylinder a pin or lug 14: and in the form shown in theseviews a pivoted dog 15. The

cylinder-head 8 is provided with a bracket 16, on which are pivoted alever 17, which is adapted to engage the pin or lug 14 on the sidethereof nearest the cylinder, and a latch 18 in the form ofa bell-cranklever, the short arm of which is adapted to engage the nose of the latch17 and the long arm of which is adapted to engage the side of the dog15, as shown. To this dog is pivoted one end of the trip-rod 19, whichextends alongside one of the rails of the main track, being supported inany suitable way, and carries at its other end a lug 20, having lateralprojections 21. To the side of the rail adjacent to the end of saidtrip-rod is firmly attached a bracket 22, having therein a slot 23, openat its lower end. The trip-rod is adapted to be inserted within thisslot and to be held against longitudinal movement by the spring 12 bythe engagement of said lateral projections 21 with the face of saidbracket. Means may be provided to prevent the trip-rod from beingaccidentally or maliciously removed from said slot, said means beingshown as a wire passed through an eye or staple on the bracket 22,around the trip-rod, and having its ends fastened together, as by apadlock, which wire will be broken when the end 27 of the trip isdepressed by a passing train. The rod is continued beyond said lug 20,as shown at 24, and is adapted to be struck by the trip, now to bedescribed.

The trip consists in this form of my invention of a pivoted barextending upward, as shown at 26, at an acute angle with the horizontalin the direction from which the locomotive adapted to cooperatetherewith to throw the switch will approach, and has, further, beyondsaid upwardly-inclined portion a downwardlyextending projection 27,which normally lies immediately above the end 24 of the trip-rod. Theother end of said trip-bar beyond its pivot carries or is formed into acounterweight 28, which tends to keep the inclined portion 26 of saidbar elevated above the top of the adjacent rail. In the other end of thecylinder 7 from the head 6 of the rod 5 are slidably mounted the heads30 and 43 of the rod 31, which is free to slide in said head withinlimits-via, the pins 32 and 44, on the one hand, and the spring 33 onthe other. The rod 31 is connected to the switch-lever 34, which may beany one of the ordinary and well-known forms. An internal flange 45 inthe cylinder 7 engages the head 30 on the opposite side from the spring33. This spring 33 must be stronger than the spring 12 and should be ofsuch strength that it will not yield when the switch-lever is thrown topull the switch-rod over to close the switch, so that to all intents andpurposes the connection between the switch-lever and the cylinder 7 is arigid one for the operation of ordinary switching. The purpose of thespring 33 is to permit the switch to yield when it is improperly set anda train passes through it from the heel or rear side. The spring 33 canbe omitted if the switch lever mechanism is provided with springs, as inthe well-known type of switch known as the Ramapo switch.

The means carried by the locomotive which cooperates with the trippreferably consists of a wheel 35, normally projecting laterally, (seeFig. 5,) but capable of being drawn in between the wheels 36 of theforward truck. The wheel 35 is held a short distance above the level ofthe top of the rail, as shown, the trip being arranged to project abovethe rail, as previously stated. Any suitable mechanism may beprovided'which will enable the engineer from his cab to withdraw thewheel 35, that illustrated consisting of a bell-crank lever 36, one endof which is connected by a pin and slot to the shaft 37 of the Wheel 35and the other end to a rod 38, leading by suitable connections to theengine-cab. The 10- ver 36 and the shaft 37 are supported in hangers 39and 40, respectively, and said shaft is provided with a collar 41,between which and the hanger 40 a coil-spring 42 is placed, whichnormally holds the wheel in operative position.

Before explaining the mechanism for moving the trip to inoperativeposition the operation of the parts so far described will now be stated.Assuming that the switch has been left open-i. (2., in the position ofFig. 1 and that amain-line trainis approaching from the left in saidfigure, the wheel 35 will strike the trip 25 unless the train is to runonto the siding, in which case the engineer will withdraw said wheel.The trip 25, striking the end 24 of the trip-rod 19, will release itfrom engagement with the bracket 22, and consequently dog 15, latch 18,and lever 17 will swing on their respective pivots, spring 12 willexpand, and switch-rod 5 will be moved to close the switch. This ofcourse leaves the switch-lever 34 set for the siding, and in pulling itover so that it will correspond in position to the switch the spring 12is recompressed and the parts can be reset by engaging trip-rod 19 inthe slot 23 again. When so set, the switch-rod and switch-lever arerigidly connected, so that the switch can be the spring 33 beingsufiiciently resistant, as

above stated, so that it does not yield at all when the rod 31 is pulledby the lever 34 to close the switch. Should, however, a train passthrough the open switch from the rear, the effect in this form of myinvention will be as follows: Rod 5 will be forced over toward the lever34, and by reason of the engagement of pin 14 with lever 17, whichengagement is maintained by latch 18 and dog 15, moves the cylinder 7likewise toward the lever. Rod 31 remains stationary, and consequently,also, the head 43, while the head 30 moves with the cylinder by reasonof its engagement with the. internal flange 45 thereof. The I spring 33is thus compressed and by its expansion resets the switch. Suppose nowthe switch to be closed to the main line and a train to run from thesiding onto the main line. The effect will be to move the rod 5 awayfrom the lever 34, carrying the cylinder with it by reason of theengagement of stop 13 with head 8 and compressing spring 33 between head43, which moves with the cylinder and head 30, which remains stationarywith rod 31. The switch will therefore remain closed after the passageof the train,

"-It is an infrequent occurrence that the switch is left open when atrain is due to pass on the main line, and therefore it is desirablethat the trip bein operative position only when the switch has beeninadvertently left open, and with that object in view I have providedmeans connecting the trip to the switch-rod 5, so that the former willalways be in inoperative position when the switch is closed.

' Such means may vary in detail, that shown in Fig. 1 comprising a lever46, pivoted at 47 to the rod 5 and pivotally engaging at its free endwith the crank 48 of the shaft 49, which extends alongside the otherrail of the main line from that alongside which the trip-rod 19 extends.Saidshaft 49 carries a crank 50 at its other end, to which is pivoted alever 51, connected by a swivel-collar 52, to which said lever 51 ispivoted, to one end of the rod 53, extending under the track andcarrying at its other end the trip 25. A pin 54 on said rod engages theinclined surfaces of bolts 55, attached to the'rail, so that as said rodis reciprocated it is also partially rotated. The trip 25 is looselymounted on said rod, which is provided with stops 56, adapted to engagea lug 57 on the trip to limit the movement of the latter. It will now beseen that whenever the switch-rod 5 is moved to close the switch the rod53 will be also moved in a parallel direction, and thereby carry thetrip laterally away from the rail,,so that its end 27 will no longer beabove the end 24 of the trip-rod. Further, the'rotation-of said rod 53by reason of the engagement of its pin 54 with the cams 55 will lowerthe trip, so that its inclined portion 26 no longer projects above therail. v

Having thus described one form of mechanism in which Qmy invention maybe embodied and not restricting myself to the pre. cise form ordimensions shown, since it is obvious various changes and modificationsmight be madetherein without departing from the principles of myinvention, what I claim 1. The combination with a railway-switch, ofautomatic means adapted and arranged to be operated by a train to closethe same, and means to normally maintain said automatic meansinoperative so that the ordinary operaarranged to be struck by anapproaching train to release said device, and means whereby the openswitch can yield without releasing said device when a train runsthroughit from the heel, substantially as set forth.

3. A railway-switch provided with means 1 whereby it may be manuallyopened and closed as usual, in combination with a spring arranged to bereleased by a train to close the switch, if the same has been wrongfullyleft open, and means whereby the switch can yield in either directionwithout releasing. said spring when a train runs through it from theheel, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a railway-switch, of automatic mechanism adaptedand arranged to beioperated bya train to close the same,

and means whereby the switch can yield in either direction withoutsetting on the automatic mechanism when a train runs through it from theheel, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railway switch, the combination with a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, of means normally connecting said rod and lever, wherebythe switch may bemanually thrown in either direction in the ordinaryway, of a spring adapted and arranged to move said rod relatively tosaid leverina direction to close the switch when the connection betweensaid rod and lever is broken, and means adapted and 1 spring adapted andarranged to move said rod relatively to said lever ina directionto'close the switch, a latch device adapted and arranged to connect saidswitch rod and lever and maintain said spring energized whereby theswitch can be positively thrown in eitber direction by means of thelever, means to normally hold said latch device in operative position,and a trip adapted and arranged to be actuated by an approaching trainto release said means and thereby permit said spring to act to close theswitch, substantially as set forth.

said trip-rod against longitudinal movement and thereby maintain theconnection between said switch rod and lever, and a trip adapted andarranged to be operated by a train approaching the switch to releasesaid trip-rod and thereby break the connection between said switch rodand lever and permit said spring to act to close the switch,substantially as set forth.

8. In a railway switch, the combination with a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, of a cylinder connected to said lever and in which saidrod is slidably mounted, a spring interposed between said rod and saidcylinder and adaptcd to move said rod relatively to said cylinder in adirection to close the switch, a latch pivoted to said cylinder andadapted to engage a projection on said switch-rod to hold the sameagainst movement by said spring, means to normally hold said latch inengagement with said projection and a trip adapted and arranged to beoperated by a train approaching the switch to release said latch andpermit said spring to act to close the switch, substantially as setforth.

9. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, of acylinder connected to said lever and in which said rodis slidably mounted, a spring interposed between said rod and cylinderand adapted to move said rod relatively to said cylinder in a directionto close the switch, a latch pivoted to said cylinder and adapted toengage a projection on said switch-rod to hold the same against movementby said spring, a trip-rod connected to said latch and extendingalongside the track, means to hold said rod against longitudinalmovement and thereby maintain said latch in engagement with saidprojection, whereby said spring is energized, and a trip adapted andarranged to be actuated by a train approaching the switch, to releasesaid triprod from said holding means, whereby said latch is released andthe switch is moved by said spring to close the switch, substantially asset forth.

10. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rod having a headon its free end, of a cylinder in one end of which the head of said rodis slidably mounted, a switchlever connected to the other end of saidcylinder, a spring interposed between said head and the cylinder, andadapted to move said rod in said cylinder to close the switch, a pivotedlatch carried by said cylinder and a projection on said rod with whichsaid latch is adapted to engage to hold said rod against movement bysaid spring, a trip-rod connected to said latch and extending alongsidethe track, means to normally hold said trip-rod in position to keep saidlatch andprojeetion in engagement, and a trip adapted and arranged to beactuated by an approaching train to release said trip-rod and latch andthereby permit said spring to act to close the switch, substantially asset forth.

11. In a railway-switch, the combination of a switch-rod, a switch-leverand a latch device to normally connect the same, a spring adapted andarranged to move said switch-rod relatively to said lever to close theswitch when said latch device is released, a trip-rod extendin'galongside the track and connected to said latch device, a stationarybracket having a vertical slot therein open at the lower end and throughwhich said triprod is adapted to pass, means on said trip-rod to engageone face of said bracket when said triprod is in said slot whereby saidtrip-rod is held against longitudinal movement and said latch device isheld in position to connect said switch rod and lever, a trip normallysupported above the end of said trip-rod adjacent to said bracket, saidtrip being adapted and arranged to be operated by a train approachingthe switch to drive said trip-rod out of said slot, release said latchdevice and permit said spring to act to close the switch.

' 12. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rod having ahead on its free end, of a cylinder in one end of which said head isslidably mounted, a switch-lever connected to the other end of saidcylinder aspring interposed between said head and said cylinder andadapted to move said rod in said cylinder in a direction to close theswitch, a latch pivoted on said cylinder, a projection on said rod withwhich said latch is adapted to engage to hold said latch to hold thesame in engagement with' said projection, a trip-rod pivoted to said dogand extending alongside the track, a stationary bracket having a slottherein open at the lower end and through which said trip-rod is adaptedto pass, means on said trip -rod adapted to engage the face of saidbracket, when said trip-rod is in said slot, and to prevent longitudinalmovement of said rod,where by said dog and latch and said latch andprojection are held in engagement, respectively, a trip normallysupported above the end of said trip-rod adjacent to said bracket, andadapted and arranged to be depressed by a train approaching the switch,to drive-said trip-rod out of said slot, whereby said degreleases saidlatch and said spring is permitted to act to move the switch-rod andclose the switch, substantially as set forth.

13. A railway-switch rod provided with means whereby it may be manuallyshifted in either direction in the usual way, in combination withaspring arranged to move said rod in one direction independently of saidmanual means, means to hold said rod against movement by said spring, atrip arranged to be struck by a train to release said rod from saidholding means, and connections between said rod and said trip wherebythe latter will be moved to an inoperative position whenever said rod isshifted in one direction by said manual means, substantially as setforth.

14. The combination with a railway-switch provided with means whereby itmay be. manually operated in the usual way, of a spring arranged toclose said switch independently of said manual means, means tonormallyprevent the operation of said spring, a trip arranged to bestruck by a train to releasesaid spring and connections between saidswitch and said trip whereby the latter will be moved to an inoperativeposition when the switch is closed by said manual means, substantiallyas set forth.

15. In a railway-switch, the combination of a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, of a spring adapted and arranged to move said rodrelatively to said lever in a direction to close the switch, means tonormally hold said rod and lever connected against the force of saidspring so that the switch may be thrown manually in either direction inthe usual way, a trip adapted and arranged to be operated by a trainapproaching the switch to break the connection between said rod andlever and permit said spring to act to close the switch, a support forsaid trip mounted to reciprocate in a direction substantially parallelto the movement of said switch-rod and connections between said supportand said switch rod whereby when the switch is closed the trip is movedto inoperative position, substantially as set forth.

16. In a railway-switch, the combination of i a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, of a spring adapted and arranged to move said rodrelatively to said lever in a direction to close the switch, means tonormallyhold said rod andlever connected against the force of saidspring so that the switch may be thrown manually in either direction inthe usual way, a bar mounted to slide parallel to said switch-rod, atrip pivoted to one end of said bar and arranged to be struck by a trainapproaching the switch when the latter is open and thereby break theconnection between said switch rod and lever and permit'said spring toact to close the switch, connections between said switch-rod and saidbar whereby they move synchronously and means to partially rotate saidbar during such movement, whereby when the switch is closed, the tripwill be moved laterally and depressed substantially as and for thepurpose set forth 17 In a railway-switch, the combination of aswitch-rod and a switch-lever, a latch device when the connectionbetween said rod and lever is broken, a trip-rod connected to said latchdevice and extending alongside the track, means to normally hold saidrod against longitudinal movement, a bar slidably mounted parallel tosaid switch-rod, a trip pivotally carried bysa'id bar and adapted andarranged to be actuated by a train approaching the switch when thelatter is open to release said trip-rod and therebydisengage said latchdevice and permit said spring to act to close the switch, connectionsbetween said switchrod and said bar whereby the latter will move saidtrip laterally away from said trip-rod when the switch is closed, andmeans to simultaneously rotate said bar during such movement wherebysaid trip will also be depressed out of position to be actuated by thetrain, substantially as set forth.

18. In a railway-switch, the combination of a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, a cylinder to which said lever is connected and in whichone end of said rod is slidably mounted, a spring in said cylinderadapted and arranged to move when the latter is open, means arranged tobe operated by said trip to release said latch device and permit saidspring to close the switch, a lever carried by the other end of saidswitchrod, a lever swiveled to the other end of said IOC bar, a shafthaving a crank on each end'engaging said levers respectively, wherebysaid bar will be reciprocated synchronously with said switch-rod, aprojection on said bar and stationary cam devices adapted and arrangedto engage said projection and partially rotate said bar during suchreciprocatory movement, whereby when the switch is closed said trip willbe removed out of position to engage said latch-releasing means andwhereby said trip will also be depressed out of position to be engagedby the train, substantially as set' forth.

19. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rod and aswitch-lever normally connected so that switching can be carried on inthe usual way, ofmeans whereby the connection between said rod and levermay be broken and the open switch be automatically closed, by a trainapproaching said switch on the point side, means whereby said rod canmove relatively to said lever without breaking the connection betweensaid rod and lever when the switch-rails are cammed in either directionby the wheels of a train running through it from the heel side,substantially as set forth.

20. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rod and aswitch-lever, a latch device to hold said rod and lever normallyconnected, whereby switching can be carried on in the usual wa a springadapted and arranged to move said rod relatively to said lever when saidlatch device is released, a trip adapted and arranged to be actuated byan approaching train to release said latch device and permit said springto act to throw the switch, a second spring interposed between said rodand lever of sufiicient strength so as not to yield in the ordinaryoperation of switching, but which will yield to permit said rod to moverelatively to said lever when the switch-rails are cammed over by thewheels of a train passing through it from the heel side, substantiallyas set forth.

21. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rod, of acylinder surrounding the free end of said rod, a spring adapted andarranged to force said rod into said cylinder, a stop to limit thewithdrawal of said rod from said cylinder a switch-lever, a barconnected thereto and having its free end within said cylinder, twocollars slidably mounted on said bar within said cylinder, a coil-springinterposed between said collars, stops on said bar to limit the movementof said collars by said spring, an internal flange on said cylinderengaging the innermost of said collars on its side nearest the end ofsaid bar, a latch device carried on said cylinder and adapted to engagesaid switch-rod to prevent relative movement between said rod andcylinder, a trip rod adapted to normally maintain said latch device inoperative position, and a trip adapted and arranged to be operated by anapproaching train to release said trip-rod, disengage said latch andpermit said switch-rod to move to throw the switch, said coil-springbeing adapted to yield only when the switch-rails are cammed over by atrain passing the incorrectly-set switch from the heel side thereof,substantially as set forth.

22. In a railway-switch, the combination of a switch-rod having a headon its free end, a cylinder in one end of which said head is slidablymounted,a spring interposed between said head and the adjacent end ofthe cylinder, a stop on said rod engaging said end of the cylinder andlimiting the outward movement of said rod from said cylinder, aswitch-lever, a bar connected thereto at one end and having its otherend within said cylinder, two collars slidably mounted on said barwithin said cylinder, a coil-spring interposed between said collars,stops on said bar to limit the movement of said collars by said spring,an internal flange on said cylinder engaging that one of said collarsnearest the end of said bar and on the side of said collar nearest thatend, a latch pivoted on said cylinder, a lever also pivoted on saidcylinder and adapted to be engaged by one arm of said latch, aprojection on said switch-rod, adapted to be engaged by said lever, adog pivoted to said switch-rod and adapted to engage the other arm ofsaid latch, means to normally hold said parts ongaged and means adaptedand arranged to be operated by a train approaching the switch to releasesaid holding means, whereby the switch rod and lever are normallyconnected so that switching may be performed in the usual way, wherebythe switch will be automatically closed by an approaching train on 'themain track if inadvertently left open, and

whereby the switch-rod and cylinder can move relatively to theswitch-lever and its connecting-bar when the switch has been incorrectlyset and a train runs through it from the heel, Whether it were set forthe main line or the siding, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' URBAN A. WOODBURY.

Witnesses:

C. P. HEATH, GEORGE W. MARKS.

